Wow! This is my twenty-fifth blog post this month! Pretty sure, that's a new personal record.
Well, if you have read any of my previous post and / or you are going through the world with open eyes, there are bunch of reasons for me writing so much right now. One of them is, that there are a lot of music freebies given away these days, be it for Easter, for Homeburn, out of corona boredom - plus the regular promo giveaways.
And you know me, if it's a recent release and I like it, I'm usually appreciative enough to feature it here - like this Argentinian psych album out on Necio Records, the label that also recently brought us Peruvian post rock from Parahelio.
Well, if you have read any of my previous post and / or you are going through the world with open eyes, there are bunch of reasons for me writing so much right now. One of them is, that there are a lot of music freebies given away these days, be it for Easter, for Homeburn, out of corona boredom - plus the regular promo giveaways.
And you know me, if it's a recent release and I like it, I'm usually appreciative enough to feature it here - like this Argentinian psych album out on Necio Records, the label that also recently brought us Peruvian post rock from Parahelio.
KNEI - III (download) (2020)
Knei is one of those bands who are so vintage, so keen on emulating the sound of the Sixties and early Seventies, that "III" at first left me a little undecisive, because I wasn't sure if I just respected the effort or if I truly enjoyed the music for what it is.
Their brand of psychedelic rock, which is often closer to rock'n'roll and even rockabilly than to epic kraut or power trio excesses, isn't really seated in the center of my comfort zone, which didn't make it easier. Yet eventually the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me.
Admittedly the first things which kept my attention weren't the most profound reasons. First there was the "exotic" bonus simply caused by me not speaking Spanish. And foreign languages sometimes have their way of making music more intriguing.
The other thing is the Tarantino effect. If there are passages which might sound a little too worn out and unoriginal, your head still connects them with pictures which turn them into something cool.
But these two cheap effects kept me listening long enough to realize that most of the stuff on this rather short album actually has value beyond the pure aesthetical shtick.
Yes, a couple of licks and riffs could be a tad more original, but the songs around those are strong stuff with some great hooks, melodies and instrumentals, among which I especially love the more driving parts and the string and horn section arrangements accompanying the trio here and there.
Knei know how to keep an interesting balance between the nerdy odd stuff and universal pop appeal. And I also dig that dry natural drum sound. This is a fun record!
The vinyl version comes out in May and can already be pre-ordered from Necio Records / Mafia Discos. I recommend this Friday to do so, because Bandcamp once again waives its own revenue share. So on May 1st the complete money from each sale goes to the artists and labels.
Their brand of psychedelic rock, which is often closer to rock'n'roll and even rockabilly than to epic kraut or power trio excesses, isn't really seated in the center of my comfort zone, which didn't make it easier. Yet eventually the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me.
Admittedly the first things which kept my attention weren't the most profound reasons. First there was the "exotic" bonus simply caused by me not speaking Spanish. And foreign languages sometimes have their way of making music more intriguing.
The other thing is the Tarantino effect. If there are passages which might sound a little too worn out and unoriginal, your head still connects them with pictures which turn them into something cool.
But these two cheap effects kept me listening long enough to realize that most of the stuff on this rather short album actually has value beyond the pure aesthetical shtick.
Yes, a couple of licks and riffs could be a tad more original, but the songs around those are strong stuff with some great hooks, melodies and instrumentals, among which I especially love the more driving parts and the string and horn section arrangements accompanying the trio here and there.
Knei know how to keep an interesting balance between the nerdy odd stuff and universal pop appeal. And I also dig that dry natural drum sound. This is a fun record!
The vinyl version comes out in May and can already be pre-ordered from Necio Records / Mafia Discos. I recommend this Friday to do so, because Bandcamp once again waives its own revenue share. So on May 1st the complete money from each sale goes to the artists and labels.
